This invention relates to landscape maintenance and more specifically to a retractable device to guide water hoses around fragile flower and vegetable garden areas whose flowers and vegetable plants are susceptible to dragging hose damage.
In order to water a lawn or a garden it is common to have a hose connected to a water faucet with the faucet being located at a side of a house. The hose may be connected to a reel assembly to facilitate winding and unwinding of the hose. Typically, the hose is moved from side to side on the ground when watering different parts of the lawn or yard. Gardens and flowerbeds are sometimes located next to the sides of homes and directly near the water faucet to which the hose is connected. If sufficient care is not exercised, the hose, when moved side to side or being retracted by the hose reel assembly, can damage the garden and the flowerbed. Additionally, it is quite frequent for other obstacles, such as houses, offices, and trees may prevent or hinder movement of the hose or to damage the hose itself. Therefore, it is advantageous to guide the hose around such obstacles.
There are several patented devices that protect paint, water or air hoses from entanglement or wedging with the tires of a vehicle, including Podrecca (U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,732), Violette (U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,432), Green, et al., and Pauli (U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,339).
In addition, prior art devices have been proposed to solve the problem of protecting gardens, flowerbeds, and other landscaping from being damaged by water hoses. One such device was invented by McElyea (U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,386), another approach was presented by Remby in 1992 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,254), Whitehead proposed a new design (U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,262), as did Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,142).
The inventor is unaware of any prior art retractable devices that solve the aesthetic and safety concerns that have been ignored by prior devices and which are addressed by this invention. Prior art devices are stationary and protrude upright several inches above the surface of the ground at all times. Several hose guide devices might be placed around the yard area, creating both safety and aesthetic concerns for home gardeners, professional gardening personnel, residents, guests and customers. Gardeners and customers can easily trip over the protruding art devices suffering serious injury and causing grounds for home and business owners liability. Likewise anyone using the yard and garden area for recreational and relaxation purposes can easily trip and fall over these art devices and cause serious and possible fatal injury. Further, the hose guide itself can be easily damaged. Prior art devices also detract from the beauty of the yard and garden area. In view of this, there is need for a retractable hose guide that obviates both the safety and aesthetic concerns of the prior art devices while serving to protect gardens and flowerbeds from being destroyed or damaged by movement of hoses.
The retractable hose guide eliminates the safety and aesthetic disadvantages of prior art stationary hose guides that remain permanently staked in the ground in the deployed position, protruding upward above the surface of the earth. The retractable hose guide allows the spool to be stored in the stored position, out of the way, and allows it to be manually placed in the deployed position, above ground, only when actually in use. When in the deployed position the spool of the retractable hose guide is in a position above the ground sufficient to cause engagement with a hose as the hose is moved or dragged around the yard. The retractable hose guide can be stored and can remain below ground level when not in use, obviating the esthetic and safety concerns of other such devices.
The retractable hose guide comprises, in part, a cover, a body, a spool and a stake. The cover is cosmetic, in that when the retractable hose guide is in the stored position, the cover is level with the ground and hides the inner workings and spool. The cover also contains the bayonet tabs that when rotatably engaged keeps the device in the stored position in the ground. The body houses the spool. The stake secures the retractable hose guide in the ground.
The retractable hose guide is placed in the deployed position, above the ground level, by rotating the cover and allowing a spring to place the spool into position. The spool is placed in the stored position within the body and completely below ground level, by manually forcing the cover downward toward the body. The cover is locked in place, flush with ground level, by rotatably engaging the cover by hand or foot. The spool is concealed from view, thus the possibility of the deployed spool tripping a person or of the retractable hose guide being damaged is eliminated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a retractable hose guide for guiding a hose in a yard.
It is an object of the present invention is to protect garden and flower beds from inadvertent damage associated with use of a hose.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a retractable hose guide that can withstand temperatures from below freezing to 130xc2x0 F. or higher.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.